Shining a light on human trafficking

TED@UPS asks: What if we opened our eyes to human trafficking in America?

Americans believe we live in a country where people are free. But what if human trafficking is happening across the nation, and we’re just not seeing the signs? Truck driver John McKown became aware of this devastating problem while crisscrossing America’s highways, and now he’s working to stop it.

Human trafficking victims can be found in cities, suburbs, and rural areas in all 50 states.

Earlier in his career, John was a police officer in rural West Virginia. But there was one issue he didn’t feel truly trained to handle—prostitution. It was a crime he thought wasn’t really hurting anyone, so he didn’t make it a priority.

In his TED@UPS talk, John describes how his eyes were opened when he became a trucker. He encountered a young, tattered-looking girl who he realized was being forced to work as a prostitute at the truck stop where he had parked for the night. And the girl reminded him of his own daughter.

John now does everything he can to educate others about the issue of human trafficking across America as he fights to end it once and for all.